Marissa Rizzuto '26

English Honors and Political Science double major 


On Stony Brook: 

Because I grew up in Stony Brook, SBU has always been home to me. I used to go to summer camp here as a kid. I was also lucky enough to take an English class here  as part of a partnered program with the Three Village Central School District. It was a class on graphic novels, and it’s what first gave me the idea of coming here for college.

What degree are you graduating with?

A Bachelor's degree in Honors English and Political Science

Favorite class:

My favorite class was EGL301, which is a single topic course. The topic changes every semester, and mine was Law and Literature.  As a pre-law student, I figured it would perfectly align with my future goals The course was taught by Dr. Susan Scheckel, and the material we learned truly altered the way I view the world. Some of the material we covered was Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, Herman Meville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener, and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, which ended up being the main literary work for my thesis. What made the class stand out to me apart from the material were the student presentations. Every week, to introduce a new piece of literature, a student would do a presentation connecting the literary work to a historical event or concept. To this day, I still remember some of the presentations, and my presentation consequently became my thesis, of which Dr. Scheckel was my advisor.  

Plans for post-graduation:

I am currently in the process of studying for Law school and working on my applications! I am also working as a legal assistant and volunteering for an animal rescue, Hidden Gems. 

Advice for future Seawolves:

Make the most of your time here. Stony Brook is the perfect place to branch out and find yourself, so utilize what the University has to offer you. Get to know your peers and Pprofessors, and build lasting relationships. Also, don’t be afraid to try out different classes and even change your major. Live your life at your own pace. 

Favorite SBU memory:

Something I’ll never forget is working on my thesis. I spent nearly two years researching and writing that paper, and I’ll never forget the wave of relief that hit me after submitting it. In the summer of 2025, I received a URECA grant to further my research for the paper. That summer consisted of me going to the local library and reading countless books on legal theory and Susan Glaspell. However, the most memorable moment from that summer has to be developing an original transcription with my grant and thesis advisor, Dr. Scheckel. My thesis was on law and literature in the 18th and 19th centuries, and one of the two court cases I analyzed was a neglected domestic violence case from 1867. Only one person has analyzed this case before, so when I received the original handwritten documents from the State archives of North Carolina, they were filled with edits and redactions nobody has researched before. When transcribing the case, my advisor and I realized our transcription differed slightly from the only published online transcription. 

Parting thoughts:

My time at Stony Brook was invaluable. I am grateful for the time I spent there, and I’ll always appreciate the ways it changed me. I’d like to thank the Department of English for trusting me enough to start an internship because I wanted an extracurricular activity. I’d also like to specifically thank Dr. Susan Scheckel, Dr. Sara Santos, Dr. E.K. Tan, Dr. Andrew Engelhardt, Dr. Benedict Robinson, Alyssa Bergman, and Margaret Hanley, for always believing in me and making my years at Stony Brook as memorable as they are.